Cycling Keeps You Younger Than Your Years

Want to “age optimally?” Keep riding.

At 43 years young, Jens Voigt set a new World Hour Record. James Startt

Newsflash: Don’t believe all the hype about being over the hill. Sure, we are all going to get older and eventually bid our adieu. Scientists have a fairly good grasp on the general human lifespan. What they know less about is the human “healthspan,” how quickly—or not—we slide into a state of serious decline. The problem is that, to date, our “models” for aging have all been pretty much couch potatoes. Which is the wrong approach, say researchers of a recent study published in The Journal of Physiology, who contend that the model for optimum aging should be highly active folks—like cyclists.

To make their point, they rounded up 125 male and female cyclists ranging in age from 55 to 79 and put them through a battery of tests to determine the health and strength of their heart, lungs, muscles, mind, hormones, balance, mood, and more. What did they find? Though there is a wide range of health and ability even among very active folks, in general, those who maintain a high level of physical activity will be better off over time.

Even the oldest among the cyclists had generally healthy markers of cardiovascular and metabolic health such as healthy normal glucose, insulin, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. Their actual max heart rates were higher than what age-based models would predict. They had excellent balance. They were happier than their non-active peers. And in the most basic test of functional ability—standing up, walking a stretch, turning around and sitting back down—the 79 year olds in this study performed far better than the “norm” and were able to do basic everyday tasks with the same ease as healthy adults a fraction of their age. And in the end, that’s something worth riding for. Pedal on.

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